Everything You Need To Know About CBD and Shopify

Some states have opted to legalize medical and recreational marijuana. Accordingly, there has been an explosion of demand for CBD based products, and the market is eager to meet the demand. Businesses are fighting to stake their claim on a corner of the cannabis oil market, and now, Shopify is available for all of their e-commerce needs. The state of CBD advertising and sales is about to grow dramatically.

What do CBD oil products look like?

CBD oil is projected to become a $22 billion industry by 2022. That’s a massive industry jump that companies are dying to jump on ahead of the curve. There are dozens of ways CBD oil is already incorporated into everyday products. But what exactly do these products look like?

Well for starters, they don’t all come with a hemp leaf logo and a whiff of an illicit substance! CBD oil is short for cannabidiol. It’s a phytocannabinoid found in cannabis plants known for a calming effect. It has absolutely no hallucinogenic effect like tetrahydrocannabinol or THC which is also extracted from cannabis. It’s used in a huge range of products from shampoos to energy gummies to life-saving medications.

CBD oil is vastly popular as a skincare supplement, and it’s started to be incorporated into cosmetic products as well. It’s also used in pain relief products and anti-anxiety products. There is a ton of research currently being carried out on the potentially life-saving ways this substance could be incorporated into medication.

With all of the applications of this substance and the huge array of products already out there, it might seem like the need for marketing is minimal. People are constantly seeking out new uses for this substance. However, marketing for CBD products isn’t quite as straightforward as you might think.

What Makes Marketing for CBD Oil Brands Tricky?

Since CBD oil is so closely related to and associated with marijuana, it’s a closely regulated substance. The laws are ridiculously complicated, and they are constantly changing. For instance, CBD oil, if procured from hemp, is completely legal because hemp is federally legal and does not contain more than 3% THC. However, if the CBD oil used in products is from marijuana plants with more than 3% THC, it is illegal, because those marijuana plants are federally illegal.

This poses a difficulty because according to scientists, it’s incredibly difficult to keep hemp plants pure or ensure that farmers are only cultivating legal hemp plans. This means the products you’re purchasing could be accidentally illegal. Naturally, this leads to a closely watched industry and laws that vary by state. And of course, you can’t be marketing an illegal substance to people.

Marketing for CBD oil brands means you have to make sure that you are in compliance with the many laws and regulations that are placed upon your product. However, Shopify won’t be vetting every single CBD oil product that is poised for sale on their site. They’ll investigate feedback from users and take action where necessary. This gives CBD brands a whole market opening that they are dying to take advantage of.

How to Leverage Your CBD Oil Brand

Once you get over the major distinction between traditional marketing and promoting a product that isn’t necessarily legal everywhere, marketing for CBD oil on Shopify is pretty straightforward!

1. Turn your customers into your influencers. Nothing encourages people to try new things like seeing a ton of rave reviews in the comments section or hearing from a friend how in love they are with a new product. Give your customers an incentive to write a review or refer a friend by offering them a deal on their next purchase.
2. Try influencer marketing. Influencer marketing means leveraging someone else’s social media following. You do this by offering them a free sample of your product and a fee with the understanding that they will post about the positive experience they have with your product. However, be careful when you select your influencer. CBD oil has dozens of different applications but not every product will be good for a wide audience. Instead, select the influencer you work with based on how engaged their follower base is with your product’s particular use of CBD oil. This might mean an influencer has fewer followers, but they are more likely to convert to customers than a broader audience.
3. Employ content marketing. As the CBD oil industry continues to expand, your customers are going to be looking for more information on how CBD oil can be used in their day-to-day lives. Don’t be afraid to create content that goes beyond your specific products. Look at the industry as a whole. Be the company that answers the major questions people have about CBD products, and people will remember your brand when they’re looking for products like yours.
4. Use social media. Part of engaging with your customers is giving them a direct line to your brand. Promoting yourself on social media, creating high-quality social content, and engaging with your followers online opens up a dialogue that customers can relate to and are more likely to remember positively.

What is CBD Advertising Going to Look Like?

The future is murky for CBD oil-based products, as government officials scramble to regulate the industry. However, as the laws and regulations settle, the industry will continue to expand. Eventually, CBD advertising is going to be just like any other advertising. Which is to say, everyone will be trying to be different.

All in all, Shopify is opening up a huge opportunity for CBD products, and it’s going to be interesting to see how regulations are imposed on the products that will be sold on the platform. It’s likely that we will see some additional adjustments to Shopify’s policies to accommodate the growing market, but only time will tell.